Exodus 5:12

12 And the people was scattered by all the land of Egypt to gather straw. (And so the people scattered out into all the land of Egypt to gather straw.)

Exodus 5:12 Meaning and Commentary

Exodus 5:12

So the people were scattered abroad throughout all the land of
Egypt
That part of it where they dwelt:

to gather stubble instead of straw;
straw not being easy to come at, they were obliged to gather stubble that was left in the fields, after the corn was gathered in. Ben Melech observes, that the word signifies small straw, or small sticks of wood, and Kimchi ^F13, and if so, this must be to burn the bricks with in the furnaces.

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FOOTNOTES:

F13 Sepher Shorash, rad. (vvq) .

Exodus 5:12 In-Context

10 Therefore the masters of the works and the rent gatherers went out to the people, and said, Thus saith Pharaoh, I give not to you straw (I shall not give you any more straw);

11 go ye, and gather ye (it yourselves), if ye may find (it) any where; neither anything shall be decreased of your work (but your daily quota shall not be decreased).

12 And the people was scattered by all the land of Egypt to gather straw. (And so the people scattered out into all the land of Egypt to gather straw.)

13 And the masters of the works were busy, and said, Fulfill ye your work each day, as ye were wont to do (before), when the straw was given to you.

14 And they, that were (the) masters of the works of the sons of Israel, were beaten of the rent gatherers of Pharaoh, that said, Why fulfilled ye not the measure of tilestones, as ye did before, neither yesterday, neither today? (And they, who were the taskmasters of the Israelites, were beaten by Pharaoh's rent gatherers, who said to them, Why have ye not made the same number of bricks as ye did before, not yesterday, nor today?)